The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved a Safe City project for Lucknow at a total cost of Rs.194.44 crore under the Nirbhaya Fund Scheme. The project would be implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with Centre and State sharing the funding in 60:40 ratio.
This approval is a part of MHA’s plans to implement Safe City projects in 8 selected cities, namely, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Lucknow under Nirbhaya Fund with the purpose of strengthening safety and security of women in public places. The projects are being implemented in consultation with Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology, respective Municipal & Police Commissioners of the cities and civil society organizations.
The Safe city proposal for Lucknow will be implemented by Uttar Pradesh Police, assisted by the Municipal bodies and city transport authorities. The major components of the Safe City project in Lucknow include, inter-alia:
- Setting up an Integrated Smart Control Room;
- Setting up Pink Out-posts (exclusively administered by Women police) for facilitating ease of filing complaint by women;
- Pink Patrols of Women police;
- Setting up Women Help Desks in all Police Stations with Counsellors;
- Augmentation of existing Asha Jyoti Kendra;
- Implementing Safety measures in buses, including Cameras;
- Improving Street Lighting in identified Hot Spot areas;
- Setting up Pink Toilets;
- Integration of Women power-help line with single Emergency number ‘112’.
The Safe City project for Lucknow also envisages gender sensitization awareness campaigns and capacity building in collaboration with community and civil society organizations.